9.3.1 Consideration one: Is there a basis for accepting a preservation responsibility?

Table 9-1 presents a series of questions that may help as a starting point in considering this
decision.

Key decision:
Whether there is a basis for accepting a preservation responsibility

Key questions: Contributing questions: Such as:

1. Does the business of the Are there any existing legal legal deposit or other
organisation imply an existing requirements? statutory obligation
or potential preservation
obligation for any kinds of organisational rules
digital heritage materials? (Is contractual obligations
the organisation required to take
responsibility?)
Do current obligations imply a responsibility for parallel
possible extension to digital material
materials?
serving parallel client
(eg A deposit library lacking needs
legislation for digital materials)
Has the organisation accepted a donated data
custodial role for digital
materials with an implied data stored for depositors
preservation expectation? data transferred from
another preservation
Programme
2. Does the organisation have an Does it have a natural interest for users
interest in accepting a in identifying materials and for future research
preservation responsibility? keeping them accessible? for re-use
(Does it want to have a role?) for community pride
for profit
Does it have an indirect interest the producer community
based on a valued relationship
with a particular community? other stakeholders

3. Does the organisation have, Does it have what will be commitment and vision
or could it acquire, the capacity required to fulfil a resources
to take on a preservation responsibility? knowledge and skills
responsibility? contacts
credibility
4. Is this really someone elses Is there someone else with this Someone
responsibility? responsibility already, or who who already does it
could take it on? who is already required to
do it
with a natural interest in
doing it
with the capacity to do it
Table 9-1 Considerations in deciding if a preservation responsibility exists

45